(COLUMBUS, Ohio) – Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s emergency department has been selected as a recipient of the 2025 Emergency Nurses Association Lantern Award, which recognizes leadership, practice, education and advocacy that resulted in improved patient care and staff well-being.
“These recipients demonstrate excellence in practice, interdisciplinary collaboration, and innovation that make their departments exceptional places for patients receiving care as well as for the staff working in them,” said ENA President Ryan Oglesby, PhD, MHA, RN, CEN, CFRN, NEA-BC. Fewer than 100 emergency departments were selected this year.
The Nationwide Children’s Emergency Department Main Campus team is honored to have its achievements and high standard of care recognized by being a Lantern Award recipient, said Barb Abdalla, Emergency Department Director.
The Emergency Department at main campus is a 58-bed department that cares for more than 70,000 patients annually. Nationwide Children’s ED Main Campus is committed to providing compassionate, efficient, and evidence-based emergency care to the pediatric population. A One Team value sits at the foundation of the collaborative spirit within the ED and the inter-department partnerships that contribute to efficient, best patient outcomes along the continuum of care. A commitment to continuous quality improvement and operational excellence is evident by consistent multi-disciplinary initiatives.
The ED achieved substantial decreased left without being seen rates, time to nurse assessment, time to room, and time to provider through a strong collaborative, multi-faceted effort of nursing and provider leadership. The Triage Coordinator RN role, improved provider/nurse staffing alignment, and a pull until full culture were influential initiatives to this success. A priority area of focus for the ED that was highlighted within the application is staff satisfaction and nurse retention. Nurse retention requires a collaborative effort and open communication between senior administration, ED leaders, and front-line staff. A large focus for the team is workplace violence prevention as well as emergency management and preparedness.
Once received, Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Lantern Award will be on display in the emergency department at main campus. As a recipient, Nationwide Children’s Hospital will be recognized in upcoming ENA publications, on the ENA website and during Emergency Nursing 2025, the association’s annual conference in New Orleans, Sept. 17-20.
For more information on this year’s Lantern Award recipients, visit the Emergency Nurses Association website.
About the Emergency Nurses Association
The Emergency Nurses Association is the premier professional nursing association dedicated to defining the future of emergency nursing through advocacy, education, research, innovation, and leadership. Founded in 1970, ENA has proven to be an indispensable resource to the global emergency nursing community. With nearly 45,000 members worldwide, ENA advocates for patient safety, develops industry-leading practice standards and guidelines, and guides emergency health care public policy. ENA members have expertise in triage, patient care, disaster preparedness, and all aspects of emergency care. Additional information is available at www.ena.org.